Benefits

Find out what you’re entitled to, how to claim and what to do if it goes wrong. There’s also advice on keeping your benefits and who to turn to if you need advice and support. Remember, as Universal Credit is introduced different areas have different systems, so try the online help at Turn2Us to find out more.

If you have applied for and been offered a job, a Work Trial allows you to try it out while still receiving benefits. It also enables the employer see how you get on in the post before deciding whether to take you on permanently. Most Work Trials only last for a few days.

Some government schemes are voluntary and you can ask your personal adviser for advice on joining one.

In some cases, however, attendance may be compulsory if the personal adviser feels you will benefit from attendance. In these cases, you will be referred via a jobseeker’s direction. If you are given a jobseeker’s direction to attend any of the schemes below, failure to do so, or leaving before the scheme is completed, can lead to a benefit sanction.

If you are claiming Jobseeker's Allowance, you must take part in certain schemes if you are advised to do so by a personal adviser. Your benefit may be affected if you refuse to do so or leave a scheme before completing it. The Work Experience programme is different in that it is voluntary to join, but it becomes compulsory after you have accepted an offer of a place.

The tax gap from evasion is, give or take the odd billion or so, £70 billion at present. The total tax gap is about £120 billion.
Benefit fraud and official error combined cost £3.1 billion last year.
So why does the Government spend so much more on tackling benefit fraud than tax evasion?

The recent increase in financial difficulties means homelessness is something affecting more and more of us. Everyone has the right to a roof over their heads, and Housing Benefit is paid to help you do this.

Benefits and Work has created a free online form which allows you to assess yourself using the new ESA work capability assessment just by clicking with your mouse . . . rather like an Atos health professional. Our online test takes you through the work capability assessment, the test used to decide whether you are eligible for employment and support allowance (ESA), and if so, whether you should be in the work-related activity group (WRAG) or the support group.